Hallmark Channel Announces Plans to Produce Even More Inclusive Series and Movies.....

Studio City, CA - The Hallmark Channel has announced that it will be moving forward with plans to create even more inclusive programming in 2023, with a major focus on niche societal subcultures.

Hallmark's Throuple Trouble, a romance about three gay witches who move to Salem to open a Halloween themed vegan bakery, will air on November 18th at 7 p.m.

"I couldn't be more proud of the progress we have made over the past two years under my leadership," Hallmark Media President and CEO Wonya Lucas explained. "We have increased diversity both in front of and behind the camera, and picked some low hanging fruit by introducing gay characters and more shows that feature people of color. And we will continue to strive to produce programming that all viewers can see themselves in, because everybody is welcome at Hallmark. And by everybody, I mean everybody."

Ever since the series finale of the series Good Witch featured the network's first lesbian kiss in 2021, Hallmark executives have been looking for ways to increase interest in the channel among members of other underrepresented groups. According to Lucas, Hallmark television programming shouldn't be any different than the cards you can find in a Hallmark store. "There are cards for the LGBTQ community, people of different ethnic backgrounds, believers in a variety of world religions, and so many more. I mean, if you can buy a bespoke birthday card for the naturist in your life, wouldn't they also appreciate seeing a character practicing non-sexual social nudity on an episode of When Calls the Heart?"

In the past, Hallmark programming has been criticized for having simplistic and unrealistic plots with thinly written characters that are flat and lifeless. Some have pointed out that Hallmark characters might be conventionally attractive, but they are essentially caricatures of people who might be found living in the real world. The dialogue, sometimes described as insipid drivel, sounded as if it was written by people who have never actually had a conversation with an actual human.

Lucas, who assumed control of Hallmark Media in August of 2020, has made it her mission to change the minds of Hallmark haters by working to develop characters that are more complex and more relatable. "When you watch a movie or an episode of a series, you want to see someone who you can identify with. That character might be caught up in an unusual situation, but if we've done our job you will imagine yourself in their shoes and wonder how you would handle it."

In addition to crafting more relatable characters, Hallmark plans to push the boundaries of storytelling and explore what it means to love and to be a family in a more authentic and inclusive way. Lucas believes that depth and dimension requires a story that defies common stereotypes. "We want to truly represent the human condition in a meaningful way. We want to represent real lives. That's what makes a compelling viewing experience."

Here are a few of the upcoming Hallmark movies set to air in 2023:

Home Birth Holiday - A widowed midwife who has begun to lose confidence in herself, Janice returns home to snow-covered Vermont. She soon finds a new perspective and some Christmas cheer when she meets a handsome paramedic after a baby dies during a botched home birth.

Tiny House, Big Heart - Recently engaged Vivian buys a tiny house that can magically grant wishes. As Vivian and her beloved Clara begin to make a new home together, they come to realize that living with love can be just as powerful as living with less.

The Eight Piercings of Hanukkah - An anonymous suitor sends body piercing optometrist Sara a different Hanukkah themed nipple clicker for each of the holiday's eight nights, and on her journey to find her secret admirer, she learns that her one true love might be someone she never expected.

Physician-Assisted Romance - When Liz returns home to take care of her ailing satanist father in California, she is determined to give him the perfect Lupercalia before his physician-assisted home suicide. But Dr. Death becomes Dr. Love after they are snowed in during a powerful blizzard.

Fetish Fantasy - After unexpectedly moving to Alaska, an ambitious furry starts a new romance with a local brony and learns that his small town is hiding a kinky secret: they're all into it.